In conventional fishing reels, a pinion gear on the spool shaft is driven by rotation of a handle on an axially displaced handle shaft through a main gear, which meshes with the pinion at one point of contact only. This results in an unbalanced force applied to the pinion gear that tends to push the main and pinion gears apart. Conventional reel designs provide for substantial support post and bearing surfaces in order to compensate for this unbalanced driving force. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide for balanced drive forces around the circumference of the pinion gear. However, in conventional reel gear driving systems, with the handle shaft and the spool shaft on axes, which are displaced from each other, there is room to accommodate certain auxiliary driving reel mechanisms, such as drag systems, free spool mechanisms, level wind mechanisms and braking means.